{"id":10623,"date":"2024-01-20T21:43:40","date_gmt":"2024-01-20T16:13:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asia.businessupturn.com\/?p=10623"},"modified":"2024-01-20T21:43:40","modified_gmt":"2024-01-20T16:13:40","slug":"iran-achieves-milestone-with-successful-sorayya-satellite-launch-heightening-global-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/asia\/middle-east-asia\/iran\/iran-achieves-milestone-with-successful-sorayya-satellite-launch-heightening-global-concerns\/10623\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran achieves milestone with successful Sorayya satellite launch, heightening global concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Iranian state media reported on Saturday that Iran has successfully launched its Sorayya satellite into orbit. Developed by the research arm of the civilian Iranian Space Agency, the satellite reached a record-breaking 750 km (466 miles) orbit, marking Iran\u2019s highest successful orbital achievement to date.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Sorayya satellite, weighing 50 kg (110 lb), was carried into space by the Qaem 100, a three-stage solid-fuel rocket manufactured by the elite military Revolutionary Guards. While the successful launch is a technological milestone for Iran\u2019s space program, it is likely to raise concerns in Western countries regarding Tehran\u2019s nuclear ambitions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The U.S. military, in particular, has expressed apprehension, contending that the long-range ballistic technology employed for satellite launches could potentially be adapted for the launch of extended-range weapons, including nuclear warheads. This latest achievement is expected to heighten scrutiny and increase Western concerns about Iran\u2019s missile capabilities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tehran has consistently denied U.S. allegations, asserting that its space activities are peaceful and not a cover for the development of ballistic missiles. Iran maintains that it has never sought the development of nuclear weapons. The launch of the Sorayya satellite, however, adds a new dimension to the ongoing international debate surrounding Iran\u2019s space and military ambitions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Iran, known for having one of the largest missile programs in the Middle East, has encountered setbacks in its space endeavours in recent years, facing technical issues leading to failed satellite launches. Despite these challenges, the successful deployment of the Sorayya satellite signals a notable advancement in Iran\u2019s space capabilities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The United States has taken measures to signal the continued restriction of Iran\u2019s missile program, especially following the expiration of U.N. Security Council sanctions. In October, steps were taken to curb Iran\u2019s drone transfers to Russia. Washington had previously imposed sanctions on Iran\u2019s civilian space agency and two research organizations in 2019, citing concerns that these entities were being exploited to advance Tehran\u2019s ballistic missile program.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0The successful launch of the Sorayya satellite not only reflects <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Iran\u2019s growing capabilities in the space domain but also intensifies global concerns about the potential dual-use nature of its advanced missile technology. The development is expected to prompt further debates on the international stage regarding the balance between Iran\u2019s right to peaceful space exploration and the perceived threats associated with its expanding technological process.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The U.S. military, in particular, has expressed apprehension, contending that the long-range ballistic technology employed for satellite launches could potentially be adapted for the launch of extended-range weapons, including nuclear warheads. This latest achievement is expected to heighten scrutiny and increase Western concerns about Iran\u2019s missile capabilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":429,"featured_media":10626,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[216,6965,6964,563],"class_list":["post-10623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-iran","tag-iran","tag-qaem","tag-sorayya-satellite","tag-u-s-military"],"reading_time":"2 min read","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/429"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10623"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10623\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}